Leucanthemum plant named ‘Engelina’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Leucanthemum  plant named ‘Engelina’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; strong and upright flowering stems; freely flowering habit; and large double flowers with quilled white-colored ray florets.

Botanical designation: Leucanthemum hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ENGELINA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Leucanthemum plant, botanically known as Leucanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Engelina’.

The new Leucanthemum plant originated from an open-pollination in Thornham Magna, Suffolk, United Kingdom of an unnamed selection of Leucanthemum hybrid, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Leucanthemum hybrid. The new Leucanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant in a controlled outdoor environment in Thornham Magna, Suffolk, United Kingdom in 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new Leucanthemum plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Thornham Magna, Suffolk, Kingdom since 2005 has shown that the unique features of this new Leucanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Leucanthemum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Engelina’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Engelina’ as a new and distinct Leucanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Strong and upright flowering stems.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large double flowers with quilled white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Leucanthemum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in inflorescence form as plants of the female parent selection have single type inflorescences.

Plants of the new Leucanthemum can be compared to plants of Leucanthemum ‘Leumayel’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,242. In side-by-side comparisons plants of the new Leucanthemum differ from plants of ‘Leumayel’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Leucanthemum are more compact than plants         of ‘Leumayel’.     -   2. Plants of the new Leucanthemum and ‘Leumayel’ differ in         inflorescence form as plants of ‘Leumayel’ have single type         inflorescences.     -   3. Plants of the new Leucanthemum and ‘Leumayel’ differ in ray         floret color as plants of ‘Leumayel’ have light yellow-colored         ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Leucanthemum plant. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Leucanthemum plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Engelina’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Engelina’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in an outdoor nursery in Bressingham, United Kingdom and under commercial practices. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 21° C. and night temperatures averaged 10° C. Plants were three years old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Leucanthemum hybrid ‘Engelina’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Leucanthemum             hybrid, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Leucanthemum             hybrid, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at 21° C. to             25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About one month at 21° C. to             25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 20 days             at 21° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About three             months at 5° C. to 8° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to medium in thickness, fibrous;             color, close to 158B.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching, moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance/growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact,             upright and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth             habit; freely branching habit with about 70 lateral branches             developing per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 55 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 60 cm to 70 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Aspect: Mostly upright.             Strength: Strong. Length: About 40 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: About 3 cm. Texture: Slightly pubescent;             longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 137A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple;             sessile. Length: About 10 cm to 15 cm. Width: About 3 cm.             Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin:             Serrate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly             pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing             leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B. Developing leaves,             lower surface: Close to 137D. Fully developed leaves, upper             surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to 137D. Fully             developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation,             close to 137C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Double-type inflorescence form with quilled ray             florets and tubular disc florets; inflorescences held             upright on strong peduncles; ray and disc florets develop             acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant, pleasant.         -   Flowering response.—Plants begin flowering about four months             after flowering; in the garden, plants flower naturally from             July to August in the United Kingdom.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about 20 to 40 days on the plant and for about             one week as a cut flower; inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit, about 60             to 80 inflorescences develop per plant.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8 cm. Depth (height):             About 3 cm. Disc diameter: About 2.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Flattened spherical. Height:             About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Color: Close to 137A.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape:             Quilled. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; crinkled. Number             per inflorescence: About 270 to 400 arranged in numerous             whorls. Aspect: Initially upright to about horizontal with             development. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to             158C. When opening, lower surface: Close to 158D. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 158B; color becoming closer             to 158D with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 158C.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Fused tubular, erect and elongated.             Apex: Acute. Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Number per inflorescence: About 150 to 200, massed at the             center of the receptacle. Color, when opening: Close to 12A.             Color, fully opened: Close to 12B.         -   Involucral bracts.—Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 1 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Number per inflorescence: About 55 arranged in several             whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 147B.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 147C. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 147C. Fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 147D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 15 cm to 20 cm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: Mostly upright. Texture:             Slightly pubescent. Color: Close to 137A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per floret: One             per disc floret. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About             1 mm. Anther color: Close to 201B. Pollen amount: None             observed. Gynoecium: Not observed.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Leucanthemum have been     observed to be resistant to mildew. Plants of the new Leucanthemum     have not been observed to be resistant to pests and other pathogens     common to Leucanthemum plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Leucanthemum have been     observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain     and temperatures ranging from about −15° C. to about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Leucanthemum plant named ‘Engelina’ as illustrated and described. 